The Olympic 'Zil' lanes: 250 miles of road will be coned off for 2012 VIPs

More than 250 miles of road are to be reserved for VIPs during the London Olympics.

Up to 80,000 officials, sponsors, politicians and athletes will have congestion0free lanes in London and at other venues.

Ordinary motorists face fines if they stray on to the reserved routes, which include sections of the M25. Challenging the fines could lead to a penalty of up to £5,000.

More than 250 miles of road are to be reserved for VIPs during the London Olympics - with ordinary motorists facing fines if they stray on to the designated routes

More than 200 traffic lights will be adapted to keep Olympic officials on the move in 2012.

Critics said the plans - outlined in a Department for Transport consultation paper yesterday - owed much to Soviet-style 'Zil lanes'.

In Communist times, these were used by high-ranking party and state officials to get around Moscow in their Zil limousines.

For the 2012 Games it is thought that key roads leading to the main stadium in Stratford, East London, will come under the Olympic Route Network, as are routes to and from Heathrow, under plans outlined by transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick.

The network will cover the Olympic sailing venue at Weymouth in Dorset and rowing events at Eton Dorney in Berkshire.

Hugh Sumner, Olympics transport director, said no public routes would be shut.

Thirty miles of the network might be assigned as 'Games lanes' - reserved lanes on dual carriageways and motorways. Mr Fitzpatrick-said: 'The network will be vital for transporting the Games Family and keeping our country moving during the Games.'

But AA president Edmund King said: 'The network will cause congestion for buses, taxis and other road users.

'Enforcement must be fair. The last thing we want is motorists straying into Olympic lanes by mistake and being hit with fines up to £5,000.'

The consultation document listed possible effects of the network, including the possibility of delays to other traffic during the Games, tougher parking restrictions for residents, stricter loading restrictions and the need for public utilities to reschedule roadworks.

Among the VIPs are members of the the International Olympic Committee and other affiliated organisations; technical officials, sponsors who provide £1billion of funding and services and members of the media. A 14-week consultation period on the proposals will now follow.

The Government says the network is designed to ensure that the 55,000 athletes, officials, media and sponsors on each of the 16 days of the Olympic Games and 16,500 on each of the 12 days of the Paralympics Games can move safely, quickly and reliably between the competition venues, their accommodation and other key locations.